DETAILED ACTION
Receipt is acknowledged of Applicant’s Response, dated 29 April 2026, which papers have been made of record.
Claims 1-14 are currently presented for examination, of which claims 13-14 have been withdrawn from consideration.
Examiner’s Note: No new listing of claims was filed with the Response. The claims filed 4 March 2026 are the most recent listing of claims of record.
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1-3, 5-6, 8-9, and 11-12
Claims 1-3, 5-6, 8-9, and 11-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by United States Patent Application Publication 2017/0203423 to Scholz (hereinafter “Scholz”).
Regarding claim 1, Scholz discloses an installation tool (see Fig. 2) for threaded inserts, the installation tool comprising: a spindle (3) which is provided at least partly with a first outer thread (exterior thread 12; see paragraph [0051]) and at least partly with a second outer thread (second external thread 13; see paragraph [0051]), wherein a diameter of the second outer thread is greater than a diameter of the first outer thread (see paragraph [0050] and Fig. 2), a housing sleeve (2) comprising a sleeve thread (10) engaging with the second outer thread (see paragraph [0051], thread 13 engages internal thread 10 of sleeve 2), wherein a length of the spindle (3) and a length of the housing sleeve (2) are adapted to one another such that the first outer thread (12) protrudes at least partially out of the housing sleeve (2; see Fig. 2, threaded portion 12 extends below sleeve 2 in engaged configuration), and a thrust bearing (5; see paragraph [0052], needle bearings understood to be combined roller and thrust bearings) axially fixed in the housing sleeve (2; secured to sleeve 2 and clamping component 4), wherein the housing sleeve (2) is configured to be axially movable relative to the spindle (3) by engagement of the sleeve thread (10) with the second outer thread (13; see paragraph [0051], engagement of external thread 13 with internal thread 10 produces relative axial movement), wherein an end position of axial movement of the housing sleeve (2) is defined by one or both of: an axial stop (11’) of the spindle (3) on the thrust bearing (5); and a rotational stop between the spindle (3) and the housing sleeve (2; see paragraph [0051]).
Regarding claim 2, Scholz discloses the limitations of claim 1, and further Scholz discloses that the spindle (3) has a first section (lowermost end; see Fig. 1) on which the first outer thread (12) is provided, a second section (uppermost end, see Fig. 1) on which the second outer thread (13) is provided, and a third section (medial section at lead line 3; see Fig. 1) connecting the first section and the second section, wherein an outside diameter of the second section (uppermost end of body 3) is greater than an outside diameter of the third section (medial section diameter), and a transition from the second section (transition section includes axial stop 11’; see Fig. 2) to the third section defines the axial stop of the spindle.
Regarding claim 3, Scholz discloses the limitations of claim 1, and further Scholz discloses in that the end position of the axial movement between the housing sleeve (2) and the spindle (3) is defined by a direct axial stop of the spindle on the thrust bearing (5; see Fig. 2, spindle and sleeve both sandwich the bearing).
Regarding claim 5, Scholz discloses the limitations of claim 2, and further Scholz discloses in that the housing sleeve (2) has a first cylindrical section (“essentially cylindrical space” see paragraph [0049]; uppermost region best seen in Fig. 2) in which the sleeve thread (10) is formed as an inner thread (see paragraph [0049]), and has a second cylindrical section (lowermost portion of sleeve 2 below flange 11 in Fig. 2) which is spaced from the first section by a radially inwardly projecting web or flange (11).
Regarding claim 6, Scholz discloses the limitations of claim 5, and further Scholz discloses in that the spindle (3) has at least one first rotational stop (11’) and the housing sleeve (2) has at least one counter-rotational stop (11) complementary to the first rotational stop (see paragraph [0051]), wherein the at least one first rotational stop (11’) and the at least one counter-rotational stop (11) together define the end position of the axial movement between the housing sleeve (2) and the spindle (3) as a rotational stop (see paragraph [0051]).
Regarding claim 8, Scholz discloses the limitations of claim 5, and further Scholz discloses in that a thrust piece (4) arranged radially outside the spindle (3) is provided on or in the housing sleeve (2; see Fig. 2), which thrust piece (4) is mounted on or in the housing sleeve (2) so as to be freely rotatable relative to the housing sleeve (2) but not axially displaceable relative to the housing sleeve (2), wherein a length of the thrust piece (4; see Figs. 1-2), the length of the spindle (3), and the length of the housing sleeve (2) are adapted to one another in such a way that the first outer thread (12) protrudes at least partially out of the housing sleeve (2) and out of the thrust piece (4), and wherein the thrust piece (4) has an end wall (15; see Fig. 7A) on a side facing away from the housing sleeve (2).
Regarding claim 9, Scholz discloses the limitations of claim 8, and further Scholz discloses in that the spindle (3) is coupled in a rotationally fixed manner to a spacer ring (7) surrounding the spindle (3) at least partly, wherein the spacer ring (7) is axially movable together with the spindle (3) relative to the housing sleeve (2) and is axially movable relative to the thrust piece (4).
Regarding claim 11, Scholz discloses the limitations of claim 8, and further Scholz discloses in that a flange section (uppermost disc-like portion, unnumbered, best seen in Fig. 1) of the thrust piece (4) is rotatably mounted in the second cylindrical section (lowermost portion of sleeve 2 below flange 11 in Fig. 2) of the housing sleeve (2) by means of the thrust bearing (5) and is secured against axial movement (secured within sleeve body by circlip 6; see paragraph [0052]).
Regarding claim 12, Scholz discloses the limitations of claim 9, and further Scholz discloses in that the thrust piece (4) engages around a shank (central body) of the spindle (3) and has two elongated holes (16) in which the spacer ring (7) is guided in a rotationally fixed and axially movable manner by means of a pin (8; see paragraph [0053]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4, 7, and 10 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Response to Arguments
Specification
Applicant’s arguments, see Response, filed 29 April 2026, with respect to the Objection to the Specification have been fully considered and are persuasive. The Objection of 1 April 20226 has been withdrawn.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
Applicant's arguments filed 29 April 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Claims 1-3, 5-6, 8-9, and 11-12 were previously rejected as anticipated by Scholz.
Applicant notes that claim 1 recites “an installation tool for threaded inserts comprising a spindle and a housing sleeve, wherein an end position of axial movement of the housing sleeve is defined by one or both of an axial stop of the spindle on the thrust bearing, and a rotational stop between the spindle and the housing sleeve. Applicant notes that Scholz has been relied upon to disclose the limitations of claim 1. Applicant asserts that locking means of Scholz “cause the spindle to be clamped in the housing sleeve 2. This jamming can prevent the housing sleeve from moving downward relative to the spindle as desired to drive the pins or wedges 21, due to the high friction between the abutting stop surfaces. If more torque is applied, this can cause damage to the surface of the workpiece 18 and the thread insert 14” It is unclear where Applicant finds the support for these assertions.
The examiner respectfully disagrees with Applicant’s assertions. A text search of the disclosure of Scholz does not return any results for the terms “jam,” “jammed,” or “jamming.” Paragraph [0036] of Scholz does teach that it may be difficult to produce relative rotation between the stem and the bush during relatively low torque, but Scholz discloses “[o]n the other hand, if a higher torque is applied, a relative movement between the bush and the stem is permitted” (see Paragraph [0036]). Paragraph[ [0068] notes that there is an embodiment which may result in damage to wedges 21, however this embodiment omits the bearing 5. The Office Action of 1 April 2026 cites paragraphs [0050] and [0051], which refer explicitly to Figures 1 and 2, as well as citing Figure 2 for the installation 2, all of which are understood to include the bearing 5. It appears that Applicant is picking and choosing the teachings of an embodiment not relied upon by the examiner for teaching a feature which is neither required nor inherent, and which embodiment explicitly excludes the presence of the bearing recited in the instant claim and relied upon by the examiner (see Office Action of 1 April 2026 at least at paragraph 11).
Applicant next notes that the Office Action “interprets the stop 11’ with the flange 11 of Scholz as the axial/rotational stop. However, Scholz does not disclose that the stem can directly abut the bearing 5.” Applicant asserts that the bearing 5 is disposed between the bush 2 and the clamping component/plunger 4. Applicant thus concludes “Scholz does not disclose the” limitation “wherein an end position of axial movement of the housing sleeve is defined by one or both of an axial stop of the spindle on the thrust bearing, and a rotational stop between the spindle and housing sleeve.”
The examiner respectfully disagrees. The examiner first notes that the term “abut” does not presently appear in the instant claim. Accordingly, arguments relying on that alleged requirement are not found persuasive. If the Applicant believes there is support for the argued limitation in the Specification as originally filed, Applicant is invited to amend the claims accordingly. Secondly, the examiner does not find any requirement in the instant claim that the claimed installation tool preclude intervening structures between the axial stop of the spindle and the thrust bearing. Despite Applicant’s forceful arguments, there is no requirement in the claim that there be direct abutment between the two structures. Intervening contact defining the stop in movement is understood to fairly read on the claimed limitation.
Applicant asserts that dependent claims 2-3, 5-6, 8-9, and 11-12 are allegedly allowable for depending from claim 1.
The rejection of claim 1 is maintained.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/D.C.F/Examiner, Art Unit 3726
/SARANG AFZALI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3726 05/28/2026
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